LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Portugal is preparing to loosen virus restrictions as most of the Europe Union grapples with new COVID-19 cases and brings back curbs on what people can do. Starting Monday, the Portuguese will be able to go to restaurants, shopping malls and cinemas. Classes will resume at high schools and universities. In January, Portugal was the world’s worst-hit country for the virus by size of population, but the pandemic has since ebbed significantly there. The head of the National Association of Public Health Doctors says Portugal is reaping the fruit of a lockdown that began in mid-January and “went on probably a bit longer than was strictly necessary.”
